Christmas Lights is a one-off Granada production to be shown on Boxing Day.

Filming has been in Manchester, but the cast and crew arrived at the restaurant on Wednesday to film five scenes for the show.

Staff at the restaurant say Robson Green could not have been any nicer.

Supervisor Linda Potts said: 'He was lovely, really approachable and had a laugh with us all. We got lots of photos and have put them up on the wall like a shrine to him!'

The programme is billed as a comedy that centres around brother-in-laws Colin, played by Robson Green, and Howard, played by Mark Benton of Booze Cruise fame. It also stars Nicola Stephenson and Maxine Peake as their wives.

Robson plays a van driver who challenges his brother-in-law, who lives three doors away, to outshine his display of Christmas lights.

It quickly becomes a tit-for-tat battle, with both men putting up more and more extravagant displays, much to the embarrassment of their wives. It is thought that both men play couriers, who meet up at the Oakmere Chef.